File talk:101st Airborne inspecting broken glider in Holland army.mil-2007-09-12-112355.jpg

If you look closely at the glider, center right of the photo, you will see a man's face in the wreckage, his arm near/under his chin, as if to shield his face from danger. The man is trapped in what's left of a Waco glider and the GIs are trying to rescue him without hurting him further. That man's name is Flight Officer T. C. Schofield. He was my father-in-law. Sko survived the crash and lived to the age of 99.

Tom Brokaw called my Father-in-Law's age group the “Greatest Generation,” one evidenced by a willingness to accept responsibility and to make personal sacrifices for a greater good. Sko's life was defined by his love and loyalty to his country, to his wife, and to his daughters. As a glider pilot he willingly flew into harms way during the D-Day (+1) invasion; flew into France a second time, and then a third time into Holland. He received an air medal, Unit citations, and other service recognition…plus two purple hearts. Sko was an unsung hero for his country and to his family.

His second Purple Heart came during the Market Garden adventure. A nearby glider, hit by ground fire, rammed his plane, and brought both tumbling to the earth. His rescue was captured by a news crew on sight filming the action. This still photo of him in the wreckage was published in Time magazine.

But that's only part of the story.

Sko's recovery was accelerated by one very special Army nurse; Eileen. She had dedicated her life to serving others, and when hostilities began, she served her countrymen in arms as well. One day she met Sko, coming to her seemingly in pieces. She became his Florence Nightingale and by the end of the War they were married. They raised a family together, traveled the globe together, and as time took their health, they shared assisted care facilities together, until all too soon, their full and rich lives came to an end.

And that, as Paul Harvey would have said, is the rest of the story.

The Photo Showing Pilot and copilot being freed from the glider is from D-day. See Mark Brando Book Jacket “The screaming Eagles in WW II”
The book jacket shows partial 501 PIR HQ Co., Two Freed Pilots from the glider and One 327 PIR group member. Since 501 jumped late evening on the 5th and this photo shows assembling surviving stick members of the along with the other three men. Story is First hand by my father (who is in photo top row left side next to injured pilot) He was asst.501 S3. Added 10.13.2023, Stephen Brown 2600:1002:B050:2C8:E093:8267:68C2:956D (talk) 14:09, 13 October 2023 (UTC)